Peter Large is once again unbeaten at the All Saints Blitz in a high-class renewal of the event, overseen for the first time by Alicia Mason
The ninth edition of the All Saints Blitz was won comfortably by IM Peter Large, who completed his third victory in a row. He finished a clear point ahead of a strong field, including IM John Hawksworth and CM Chris Briscoe. Chris coached me when I was a junior at Surbiton 20 years ago, and his delight in sharing the joy of chess was on full display here as he treated an eager spectator to a game between rounds.
This was my first time running a chess event, as I took charge of the tournament in John Foley’s absence, and I was relieved that things went smoothly. Much of this was thanks to a comprehensive tutorial with John over Zoom the previous week and the spirit of friendly competition that prevailed – chocoholic that I am, I’m not sure I would have been so relaxed with a giant box of Lindor on the line!
The heroic efforts of club captain Stephen Moss, who dragged a suitcase full of chess supplies over from the Willoughby Arms despite battling a cold, also deserve special mention. Stephen took part in the blitz along with several other Kingston stalwarts, including Peter Roche, David Shalom and Rob Taylor. We were also joined by Wimbledon’s Tony Hughes, a three-time winner of the event, taking the total to 10 players.
Peter Large has now equalled Tony’s winning record. Here are the final standings for those who scored more than 50%:
1 Peter Large 4.5/5
2/3 John Hawksworth and Chris Briscoe 3.5/5
4 Stephen Lovell 3/5
Peter won his first four games, conceding a draw only to John Hawksworth in the final round. Perhaps he will be hoping to continue unbeaten and clinch the tournament for a fourth time at All Saints Blitz X on Wednesday 26 February.
Alicia Mason
